Tag Archives: Shangrila’s East Wing

Last November 30, 2013, the family and I went out to celebrate my becoming a licensed engineer. We planned for dinner + a movie at Shangrila’s East Wing. I had a difficult time deciding where we would eat. Do I want Chinese food? Japanese? Italian? Would I want to eat at a buffet or a regular ala carte resto? So many choices!

I went online and saw 2 interesting (and new) restaurants at the East Wing. There was Balboa and Corazon. Thankfully they were on the same floor so it wouldn’t be a hassle to just get to the mall and decide on the spot.

We ended up eating at Balboa. Here’s my simple review.

Lasagna, Family Size, 509php

The menu specified that the meat in this lasagna was Angus Beef. Yum. My dad said that this was the way Italian lasagna was made, not at all like the Filipino lasagna I was expecting. It was a little on the bland side, for me. I think it could have done with a little more cheese since the bits of cheese I tasted were delish.

All Meat Pizza, Family size, 668php

As meat-eaters, my family thoroughly enjoyed this pizza. Again, it’s made in the Italian thin crust style with delicious cheeses and various meats. I recommend this dish highly. It’s not too filling or greasy, unlike most popular pizzas you’d encounter in the Philippines.

Osso Bucco Milanes, 448php

My favorite dish had to be the Osso Bucco Milanes. It’s beef shanks in some wonderful sauce. (Sorry, I wasn’t able to read the description on the menu). The meat was tender and very very flavorful. I only wished we ordered another one! The rice was OK, nothing special. I exclaimed that if this is what thier beef shanks tasted like, imagine how their steaks are :O

All-in-all Balboa is a sure-visit for fans of Italian fare. Though it is quite pricey (read: very pricey, I’d like to thank my sponsors mom and dad), the experience of eating there would surely make up for the empty space in your wallet.

However! I did not enjoy eating by the side of the restaurant. When we arrived, the place was full and we had to dine at the tables outside. While this may be a good idea if you’re living in the South of France in Springtime, it is not a good idea when dining in a busy mall.

The area where Balboa is situated is a particularly busy one with no less than 4 results in the vicinity. What’s more, the corridor where we ate was very narrow as it shared space with Corazon and its outside diners. There was zero ambiance as my family and I had to shout to hear one another and pedestrians kept hitting the back of my chair. It also made it difficult for us to call on the attention of the servers. I don’t know if it was poor planning on Shangrila’s part or on Balboa’s but having a restaurant with very little space inside for diners (I counted 5 or 6 tables only!) is quite vexing.

I’m not so sure if I’d like to come back. The food is really good and I’m curious about the other menu items, but my experience with eating in the corridor left a bitter aftertaste.